Coit Tower: beacon of artistic freedom

When I organized Coit Tower's 50th anniversary celebration 28 years ago, the public celebrated eight living Coit Tower artists. Many artists, in their 70s and 80s, came to the exhibit with new artwork.

Then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein was the host and championed the cause of freedom of expression. Coit Tower is still a beacon of artistic freedom and free speech.

In the '30s, one of the artists, Edie Hamlin, drove across country in a Model A from New York to get paid work at Coit Tower. It launched her career as a muralist. She went on to make 30 murals about the Old West and legends of the Plains Indians. San Francisco became her home.

A few of her murals were placed in Chevron's dining room and the International Airport. I was fortunate to develop a special friendship with Edie.

My exhibit and the party at Coit Tower brought attention to the structural and water damage. We are in the same place now, even though local, state and federal agencies gained funds to fix Coit Tower.

Restore the view

I would like to make a deal with the proponents of Proposition B:

Allow the overgrown juniper to be cut back so that a person doesn't have to be 12 feet tall to see the world-class view, and I will vote yes on your proposition. You all moved there knowing it's a San Francisco treasure - let us all enjoy it.

Putting wealth to its best use

The article "Advice for the new millionaires" (Open Forum, May 17) by Kerry Olson and Dave Katz was excellent.

The Gates Foundation and others like it are good examples of what can be done for the good of mankind, rather than spending one's rapidly acquired wealth on the most expensive and fastest car or the biggest and most expensive house. The Gateses and others like them will be much better remembered for all the good their money has done for the poor and needy in Africa.

We all need a better vision for what we can and should do if we were to acquire wealth, be it large or small.

Nice welcome

Visiting San Francisco for the first time and parking on Mission Street, I received a parking ticket. The restricted parking sign wasn't visible; it was hidden behind a construction sign. I explained this and showed photos of the sign obstruction, and the city completely ignored all of it. I paid the ticket and filed a complaint with your mayor's office - no response.

Super way for the city to welcome new folks.

G.D. Stillwell, Seattle

Media's fault

John Diaz ("Campaign's trivial pursuits," Insight, May 20) seems honestly confused as to why the U.S. public tends to judge presidential candidates by examining their long past behaviors in high school. The answer is sitting right where he is. The press insists in presenting campaigns as "horse races" with candidates "pulling ahead" based on the exposure of trivia from the past. And they present unexamined campaign propaganda as if it's news. What we don't get, is what we need, which is a detailed examination of the policies they espouse, and exposure of the blatant falsehoods that their campaigns run on. We're left with reading entrails and listening to tales from high school. The press continues to let us down.

Rik Elswit, San Francisco

Fat fight: new way

If the Richmond City Council were actually concerned about the obesity rate ("Obesity fight: Tax on sodas going on ballot," May 17), why not lower the price of bottled water and fresh fruit and vegetables? Same goal accomplished. No money grab needed.

Rocco Biale, Walnut Creek

Death of a dog

Regarding the fatal shooting of the family pet in Vallejo ("Family upset after officer kills their dog," May 18), surely there was some other option. I find it appalling and frightening that a supposedly well-trained and intelligent officer of the law feels he cannot protect himself from a snarling 11-year-old dog other than to pull his gun and shoot it.

Tina Ward, Mountain View

The tofu way

When reading about mad cow disease detected in California, please remember: There is no mad tofu disease.

I read in your paper that baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, is open to the possibility of the Oakland Athletics leaving the Bay Area. That would be bad news for Oakland but good news for my city of Omaha. We have a world-class baseball stadium in North Downtown that sits mainly idle except for the College World Series two weeks in June. I am sure my fellow Omahans would support major-league baseball, and the owners of the A's would quickly fall in love with trendy Omaha.

Two baseball teams in the Bay Area never worked all that well, but a major-league team in Omaha would work swell.

Athletics need new ownership

I think it's time for that brat Lew Wolff to sell his Oakland Athletics to someone who would keep the team and will build a new stadium in Oakland. I'm fed up with this cat and mouse game between Wolff and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. The A's are a storied franchise and it would be very sad if Wolff ruined a good team.

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.